Our experience with Castleton Farms was beyond excellent. I was planning the wedding long distance…read morefrom Los Angeles, which could have been a nightmare, but the Castleton staff, specifically Darla and Christy, were there for me at all hours any day of the week, providing the ultimate support in whatever capacity I needed it.
The venue itself is magnificent, straight out of Southern Living. I looked at venues in LA, New York, Nashville and in East Tennessee; Castleton was my top choice because of its physical presentation, the excellent reputation of its planning and production services, and its geographic nearness to my elderly family members. It was the total package with multiple gorgeous venues on property (we had the whole property for the weekend, but there are various packages and a good price range), built in wedding planning, superb day-of production, as little or as much hand holding as you want, and a selection of established, quality vendors who already have relationships and extensive experience with the property. I was looking for a venue similar to South Carolina's Boone Hall Plantation; Castleton Farms blows the Boone Hall Plantation out of the water.
The thing that most impressed me was the Castleton staff, particularly on the wedding weekend. There were 9 million details I should have already worked out but hadn't, and the staff bent over backwards to make sure that all 9 million of those details were worked out and executed to perfection. Christy was absolutely amazing; she is a superwoman in the world of wedding, always there when I needed anything but magically also in 30 other places at once, effortlessly clearing every potential disaster like she was born to do it. The golf cart drivers were on their toes, shuttling grandparents and older friends and family around the venue, and the security was absolutely incredible. I cannot recommend them more highly; they went above and beyond in every way. The staff service and staff coordination were absolutely impeccable.
Darla, the Executive Director, is the heart and soul of this venue and is the genius mastermind behind the magic that is Castleton. There was no issue too big or too small for her; she earned my full confidence months before the wedding and solved every problem I had before I even knew I had it. She runs a very tight ship and is worth a thousand times her weight in gold; she is the force of nature that sets this venue above and beyond any other.
I could not recommend this venue more highly, and I can also heartily recommend the following of the vendors they use: All Occasions Catering (Kelly blew it out of the water, was the best vendor contact we had), All Occasions Rentals, Waldorf Photographic Art (Shawn was awesome). If you are looking for great music, I can also highly recommend the harp trio we used for the ceremony, Farr Horizons, and the bluegrass/country band we used for the reception, WestWend.
